The battlefield was a chaotic landscape of destruction as Lassim sprinted toward the remaining portals.
His spirit sense stretched out in all directions, guiding him through the carnage of the battle.
Demons both from the abyss and the transformed Sun Sect disciples still rampaged across the city, their grotesque, abyss-tainted forms wreaking havoc on the Lightning Sect’s disciples.
There were only five portals left, but each one pulsed with a more sinister energy than the last.
They were growing larger too, more stable—signs that whatever was coming through would be far worse than what he had encountered so far.
His breath came in steady bursts, his halberd crackling with the combined energy of lightning, water, and void as he cut down any demon that came close.
Zaphyrella and Marinelle were fully engaged, their energies flowing through him, keeping his pace steady and undistracted as they helped protect him as he raced toward the next portal.
"[Brother we’re almost done!]" Zaphy’s voice chirped in his mind.
"[These portals are becoming more dangerous than before. The abyssal will seems to be doing something to them. I can feel the energy becoming thicker,]" Mari added.
Lassim could feel it too. As he neared the fifth-to-last portal, something was exiting from the other side—something powerful, ancient, and full of malice.
The portal rippled violently, its energy intensifying, and from it stepped a creature unlike any of the others.
This was no mindless and crazed, gluttonous demon.
A towering figure emerged from the swirling red energy of the portal, its body grotesquely muscular, covered in jagged black armor that seemed to be fused directly to its flesh. Its skin pulsed with dark, oily veins of abyssal energy, and in its clawed hands, it held a massive chain whip with serrated edges that crackled with an eerie, purple flame.
Its eyes—deep, glowing red—were filled with intelligence, hunger, and cruelty.
This was something Lassim only saw once before back at the Myriad Spirit Academy when they were attacked.
It was a Lieutenant of the Abyssal Legion, an early Spirit Transcendent stage demon, and its presence exuded a strong authority that made the nearby demons cower in fear and focus properly on their attacks on the disciples.
"So, this is the insect that’s been closing our gateways," the demon rumbled, its voice thick with malice as it stared down at Lassim. "I’ve been informed about you from the Abyss."
Lassim’s grip tightened on his halberd. This demon was different. Its aura was heavy with an oppressive, ancient power, but what set it apart was the way it was and intelligent. This creature was going to prove to be a tough battle; he could already tell.
"You’ve been causing a lot of trouble for us, little human," the demon continued, its lips curling into a mockery of a grin. "But you’ve made one fatal mistake—fate decided that I was to come for you."
Lassim’s eyes narrowed as he raised his halberd, positioning himself for the inevitable clash. "[Zaphy, Mari, be ready. This one’s strong.]"
"[We’ve got you brother,]" Zaphy chirped in response, her energy buzzing through Lassim’s body.
"[Don’t underestimate it,]" Mari cautioned.
The demon’s grin widened as it swung its massive chain whip, the serrated links scraping across the ground, sending sparks flying.
Without warning, the demon lashed out with the chain, the purple flames igniting as the weapon snapped toward Lassim with blinding speed.
Lassim felt an impending sense of peril in that microsecond to where he knew [Tempest Steps] wouldn’t save him from dying or severe injury.
He only had one choice despite the stupidity of it…
With a pop, the spatial fabric severed and connected two points.
He barely managed to dodge, teleporting a short distance away as the chain cracked the ground where he had just stood.
He reappeared behind the demon, his halberd glowing with the combined Lightning, water and void energy as he slashed at its back.
The demon’s reaction was immediate.
It spun around with a speed that defied its size, its glowing eyes widening in surprise. "What...?" It snarled, the shock evident in its voice. "You... bent space?"
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
Lassim could feel the demon’s excitement grow as it realized what had just happened.
"Interesting," the demon hissed, its eyes gleaming with newfound hunger. "You’re not just any human. You wield something I haven’t seen in millennia. Since… the last universe we devoured… or was it the one before that? Ahh, it’s been awhile. The space element...
Oh, I’m going to enjoy devouring you!" The demon began to drool from its maw as it uttered those last words.
The demon swung its chain again, but this time it aimed not just at Lassim’s body, but in a wide arc in the space around him. The chain seemed to shimmer with abyssal energy, warping the space as it sought to trap him.
"[Lassim, move!]" Zaphy shouted, sensing the danger.
Lassim teleported again, narrowly avoiding the chain as it twisted the very air where he had stood moments before but his destination was messed up. He appeared in a space much further away than intended and his balance was off.
Whatever the demon did, it made his teleportation slightly unreliable.
His heart racing, this demon was different and knowledgeable about something even he was still only figuring out—it understood how to manipulate space in its own twisted way.
The demon let out a low chuckle, its voice thick with satisfaction. "Run all you want, little human. I will enjoy hunting you down."
Lassim didn’t reply. Instead, he focused on the portal behind the demon. He could see the corrupted spatial threads holding it open, but the Lieutenant was guarding it, making it impossible to close without first defeating him.
He even saw a few demons continue to sneak and pour out of the portal as the lieutenant kept his attention.
"You’re in my way," Lassim muttered, his voice steady despite the troublesome opponent.
The demon swung its chain again, this time with more force, the purple flames roaring to life as it slashed toward Lassim.
Lassim ducked under the strike, twisting his body as he swung his halberd in a wide arc, aiming for the demon’s exposed side.
The blade connected, carving through the demon’s armor and drawing a spray of dark abyssal blood.
The demon roared in pain, surprised that the attack went through but its grin only widened. "Yes... fight harder, human! I want to feel your despair when you realize you can’t win."
Before Lassim could pull back, the demon’s chain whipped around him, the serrated links cutting into his enchanted martial robes as the purple flames flared.
The demon yanked him forward, dragging him through the air and slamming him into the ground with bone-crushing force.
Lassim gasped, the air driven from his lungs as pain shot through his body.
The demon loomed over him, its red eyes burning with malicious glee.
"Struggle all you want," the Lieutenant growled, raising its foot to crush him. "It’s over."
But before the demon could strike, Lassim willed his body to vanish, teleporting just as the demon’s foot crashed down where he had lain.
The demon let out a frustrated snarl, its eyes darting around as it searched for him. "What the...? No one should be able to do that against my flames!"
Lassim reappeared a few meters away, his body bruised and burnt but his determination unshaken. "I’m not like the others you’ve fought."
The demon’s eyes gleamed with predatory excitement. "Oh, this is good. I’ll savor every one of your bones and tan your hide to attach to the handle of my whip."
Lassim was slightly frustrated at his low Spirit Ascension stage level 2 cultivation in this moment. If he’d had more time to cultivate and hadn’t been stuck at the barrier for Spirit Ascension for over half a year then he’d probably be much stronger and this demon wouldn’t prove to be such a challenge. He could just kill it easily.
Unfortunately, the demon was more powerful than anything he had faced before, but it wasn’t invincible as he’d already managed to cut into its armor. It had also been shocked by his ability to teleport, and that gave him an edge. If he could keep the demon off-balance or surprise him again, he could turn the tide and get the kill.
With a deep breath, Lassim summoned his void energy, letting it flow through his body as he prepared for the next strike.
His progenitor marks glowed faintly as he called on both Zaphyrella and Marinelle’s power.
The disappearing and constantly reforming lightning storm above the sect from the battle between the two Sect Masters seemed invigorated for some reason in that moment as it became more resilient. Volten noticed the change but didn’t understand the cause.
Instead it was Lassim, Mari and Zaphy and knew Lassim’s full force cultivation demanded the storm be present to witness and aid his battle. What is Lassim’s battle if not assisted by the tempest?
The demon grinned, sensing the shift in Lassim’s aura. "Come on, then. Show me what you’ve got."
Lassim surged forward, his halberd crackling with a mix of water, lightning, and void energy.
He teleported mid-stride, reappearing just behind the demon and slashing at its exposed back. The blade cut deep, drawing more of the dark, oozing abyssal blood. Tiny space cracks extended out from the [Slash]’s wound but the demon’s body seemed resilient against it compared to the basic demons.
The demon roared in fury, spinning around with a vicious swipe of its chain, but Lassim was already gone, using [Tempest Steps] this time to remove and avoid the strike.
He reappeared at the demon’s flank, slashing at its leg, and then this time teleported again to the direct opposite side before it could retaliate.
For a moment, Lassim gained the upper hand, landing blow after blow as the demon struggled to keep up with his mix of random spatial movement and movement technique.
But it wasn’t long before the Lieutenant adapted.
With a snarl of frustration, the demon slammed its chain into the ground, sending a shockwave of abyssal energy rippling through the air. The force disrupted the space heavily around them once more, making it impossible for Lassim to teleport.
"You’re fast, human," the demon growled, its voice dripping with malice. "But I know your tricks and can deal with them."
Lassim staggered as the shockwave hit him, the disruption in space making it harder for him to focus as the torn and disturbed threads filled his vision making him slightly dizzy.
The demon lunged at him with its chain, the serrated links biting into his shoulder as it dragged him forward.
"You’re mine!" the demon roared, raising its clawed hand to deliver the killing blow.
~~~
While Lassim fought for his life, Grandmaster Volten was locked in a battle of his own.
The sky was a swirling mass of storm clouds and abyssal energy as Volten clashed with Yuan Zhen, the two of them exchanging blows that shook the very heavens.
Volten’s fists were wrapped in lightning, his every strike sending shockwaves of power through the air, but Yuan was equally relentless.
His body, twisted and corrupted by the abyss, moved with unnatural speed, his claws slashing through the air with deadly precision.
"You’re wasting your time, Volten!" Yuan sneered, his voice filled with arrogance. "The Abyss will devour everything, and your precious sect will burn! We will claim the God’s Trial for the Abyss!"
Volten’s heart raced with fury as he deflected another of Yuan’s attacks.
He had fought countless battles in his life, but never had he faced such overwhelming odds.
Yuan’s power, fueled by the Abyss, seemed limitless, and no matter how hard he fought, it felt like he was barely holding his own.
"You’ve sacrificed everything for this!" Volten roared, his fists blazing with lightning as he sent a flurry of punches toward Yuan. "Your sect, your disciples—you’ve damned them all!"
Yuan’s laughter rang out, cold and cruel. "The Endless Sun Sect was always meant for this, Volten. You’re the fool who couldn’t see it! The gods themselves have allowed it to happen after all these years!"
The mention of the gods struck a nerve within Volten, and something inside him snapped.
He had spent his entire life as a tool and weapon for the gods, protecting their world, fighting in their name. But where were they now? They even toyed with the fate and destiny of one of his newer disciples that thrust him into a position of constant danger as a young teen.
Where in the heavens was Bavdall, the god of day and light, when his most devout follower had turned to the Abyss? Where was the divine intervention, the justice?
"What are you idiots even doing up there!?" Volten shouted, his fists clenching as lightning surged through his veins. Sparks of orange began to radiate from his lightning as something fundamentally monumental was about to occur.